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frameworks / kit-email-sequence / 05-email-sequence-output-skill.md
Source: frameworks/kit-email-sequence/05-email-sequence-output-skill.md

Email Sequence Kit — Production Workflow

How to Use This Skill

Two workflows: one for sequence plans (the master plan), one for individual emails (the actual copy). Build the sequence plan first. Write individual emails one at a time as send dates approach.

Workflow A: Sequence Plan

Step A0: Set Up the Email Platform

Before writing any copy, get the sequence architecture right in your email platform.

Step A1: Complete the Concept Brief

Open 01-email-sequence-context.md and fill in the appropriate template (gift mode or offer mode).

Load before writing anything:

Validation gate: Do not proceed until:

Step A2: Scaffold the HTML

Produces: email-sequence-plan.html (for the campaign folder)

Copy the full CSS from the golden example. The styling is locked.

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
    <meta charset="UTF-8">
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
    <title>Email Sequence Plan — [Campaign Name]</title>
    <!-- Google Fonts: Cormorant Garamond + Inter -->
    <!-- Full CSS from golden example -->
</head>
<body>
    <div class="container">
        <h1>Email Sequence Plan</h1>
        <p class="meta">
            <strong>Campaign:</strong> [Campaign name]<br>
            <strong>List:</strong> [List size]<br>
            <strong>Cadence:</strong> [N emails over N days (dates)]<br>
            <strong>Pattern:</strong> [Description — e.g., "Taki-style — each email uses a different format"]<br>
            <strong>Modeled on:</strong> [Reference]
        </p>
        <div class="gold-bar"></div>

Step A3: Build the Taki Patterns Table

This documents how the 7 Taki patterns apply to this specific sequence.

<h2>Taki Patterns Applied</h2>
<table>
    <tr><th>#</th><th>Pattern</th><th>How It Shows Up Here</th></tr>
    <tr><td>1</td><td>Every email is a genuinely different format</td><td>[How — list the formats]</td></tr>
    <tr><td>2</td><td>One sentence per line</td><td>All emails. Conversation, not newsletter blocks.</td></tr>
    <tr><td>3</td><td>Teaching in every email</td><td>[How teaching shows up even in sell emails]</td></tr>
    <tr><td>4</td><td>Personal stories carry the teaching</td><td>[Which emails use stories, any placeholders flagged]</td></tr>
    <tr><td>5</td><td>Subject lines: short, curiosity-driven</td><td>Under 50 chars. No announcement energy.</td></tr>
    <tr><td>6</td><td>Personality is the differentiator</td><td>[Kathryn's voice description for this sequence]</td></tr>
    <tr><td>7</td><td>Hard sell comes late</td><td>[CTA progression description]</td></tr>
</table>

Step A4: Build Email Cards

One .email-card per email. Each card contains all the information needed to write that email later.

<div class="email-card">
    <div class="email-header">
        <span class="email-num">Email [N]</span>
        <span class="email-date">[Day Date]</span>
    </div>
    <div class="email-type">[Format Type — e.g., "Teaching Story — Pattern Recognition"]</div>
    <div class="subject-options">
        <span>"[Subject option 1]"</span>
        <span>"[Subject option 2]"</span>
        <span>"[Subject option 3]"</span>
    </div>
    <p><strong>Angle:</strong> [What this email does. Specific, not vague.]</p>
    <h3>Structure ([Taki reference — e.g., "Taki's 'I cheat at content' pattern"])</h3>
    <ul>
        <li>[Structural instruction — how to open]</li>
        <li>[Structural instruction — the body]</li>
        <li>[Structural instruction — how to close]</li>
    </ul>
    <div class="cta-line"><strong>CTA:</strong> [CTA description and text.]</div>
</div>

If an email needs real proof that doesn't exist yet:

<div class="placeholder">
    <strong>[WHAT'S NEEDED]:</strong> [Specific instruction for Kathryn.]
</div>

Rules for email cards:

Step A5: Build Summary Sections

<div class="section">
    <h2>What's Still Needed</h2>
    <ul>
        <li><strong>[Blocker]</strong> — [What's needed and who provides it.]</li>
    </ul>
</div>

<div class="section">
    <h2>Sequence at a Glance</h2>
    <table>
        <tr><th>Email</th><th>Date</th><th>Format</th><th>Sells?</th></tr>
        <tr><td>1</td><td>[Date]</td><td>[Format]</td><td>[Yes/No + brief note]</td></tr>
        <!-- One row per email -->
    </table>
</div>

If there's a post-sequence follow-up plan, add it as a separate section explicitly marked "Not part of this sequence."

Step A6: QC the Sequence Plan

Run 04-email-sequence-quality.md Section A + Section C against the plan.

Blocking checks:

Workflow B: Individual Email

Step B1: Review the Sequence Plan

Read the email card from the sequence plan for this specific email. The card has the format, angle, structure instructions, subject lines, and CTA.

Load before writing:

Step B2: Scaffold the HTML

Produces: email-[##]-[skill-or-campaign-name].html

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
    <meta charset="UTF-8">
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
    <title>Email [N] — [Skill/Campaign Name]</title>
    <!-- Google Fonts: Cormorant Garamond + Inter -->
    <!-- Full CSS from golden example -->
</head>
<body>
    <div class="container">
        <h1>Email [N] — [Title]</h1>
        <p class="meta">
            <strong>Send date:</strong> [Date]<br>
            <strong>List:</strong> [List size]<br>
            <strong>Format:</strong> [Email format type]<br>
            <strong>CTA:</strong> [What the CTA does]<br>
            <strong>Sells:</strong> [Yes/No. Context.]
        </p>
        <div class="gold-bar"></div>

Container width: 680px (narrower than the sequence plan's 860px).

Step B3: Write Subject Line Options + Preview Text

<h2>Subject Line Options</h2>
<div class="subject-options">
    <span>"[Option 1 — from sequence plan, refined if needed]"</span>
    <span>"[Option 2]"</span>
    <span>"[Option 3]"</span>
</div>

<h2>Preview Text</h2>
<p class="preview-text">[Preview text — complements the chosen subject line. 40-90 characters. Adds context or curiosity the subject line didn't cover.]</p>

Subject line rules:

Preview text rules:

Step B4: Write the Email Copy

<h2>Email Copy</h2>
<div class="email-body">
    <p>[One sentence per line. Every <p> is one sentence.]</p>

    <p><span class="link">[CTA link text — if this email has a link]</span></p>

    <p>[Series framing or closing context — if applicable.]</p>

    <p>Kathryn</p>
</div>

Writing rules (all emails):

Gift email specifics:

Offer email specifics:

Step B5: Write the Notes Section

<div class="section">
    <h2>Notes</h2>
    <ul>
        <li><strong>[Note label.]</strong> [Explanation — why this works, not just what it does.]</li>
        <li><strong>[Note label.]</strong> [...]</li>
    </ul>
</div>

Minimum notes:

Step B6: Write "What Happens Next"

<div class="section">
    <h2>What Happens Next</h2>
    <p>[What follows — next email in sequence, or what this email bridges to.]</p>
</div>

Step B7: QC the Individual Email

Run 04-email-sequence-quality.md Section B + Section C against the email.

Blocking checks:

Step B8: Deliver

Final files go to the campaign folder:

Example: content/business/marketing/campaigns/practice-command-center/email-01-client-intelligence-brief.html